Requests for comment/Remove changetags user right from users on all wikis
This is a subpage; for more information, see the Requests for comments page.
This request for comments discusses about restricting the changetags from all users on all wikis.
Preamble
[edit]The change tag feature is a MediaWiki core feature that can be applied by users and bots to a revision or log entry.
Unfortunately, new users take advantage of this feature by misusing the feature as a sandbox, or otherwise abuse it as a means of vandalism. (Examples on MediaWiki.org) Since the introduction to the feature, several wikis have restricted the use of the change Tag feature to bots and sysops, along with select advanced permissions. Phab:T355639 proposes an uncontroversial request to restrict the feature to bots and sysops by default but was indefinitely put on hold due to objection from a large wiki.
List of wikis
[edit]The following wikis have restricted the use of the feature to certain user groups.
| Wiki | User groups | Discussion | Task |
|---|---|---|---|
| cswiki | bot, sysop | T330383 | |
| commonswiki | bot, sysop | discussion | T134196 |
| enwiki | bot, sysop | discussion | T97013 |
| frwiki | bot, autopatrolled | T98629 | |
| hrwiki | bot, sysop | discussion | T270996 |
| itwiki | bot, botadmin, sysop | discussion | T331051 |
| jawiki | bot, abusefilter, interface-admin, sysop | discussion | T344150 |
| metawiki | bot, sysop | discussion | T283625 |
| ruwiki | bot, sysop | discussion | T136187 |
| simplewiki | bot, sysop | discussion | T339124 |
| trwiki | sysop | discussion | T264508 |
| viwiki | bot, sysop | discussion | T385960 |
| wikidata | sysop | discussion | T303682 |
The following wikis have explicit discussion on not restricting the change Tag feature:
- hewiki (discussion)
Proposal
[edit]Therefore, I propose that we restrict the change Tag feature to sysops and bots by default, on all public wikis, except the wikis above.
Discussion
[edit]
Support as proposer. ToadetteEdit (talk) 11:39, 26 December 2024 (UTC)- Support - Changetags user right may be quite risky as it attracts attention from potential disruptive editors. Ahri Boy (talk) 01:14, 28 December 2024 (UTC)
- Support * Pppery * it has begun 02:47, 28 December 2024 (UTC)
- Support. This is not a right that an average user will need to use, and should a wiki think otherwise, they can always request an opt-out like hewiki. Leaderboard (talk) 04:06, 28 December 2024 (UTC)
Oppose What exactly is there to benefit by restricting something that has minimal damage if misused, but requires users in good faith but aren't sysops to go long ways to use changetags? At the very least, I would support restricting it to just autoconfirmed users, but restricting it to sysops + bots only is extreme. I'd prefer the status quo of wikis opting in as they wish rather than wikis having to opt out. --SHB2000 (t • c) 00:47, 29 December 2024 (UTC)
- The reason why I am proposing to implement the change is because users do not need to have an extra button to change tags of revisions and log entries (in fact, most if not all users do not need this to be in the UI), and the only usage is mainly for sandboxing by new users, or otherwise tag vandalism. Of course, this doesn't apply to the applychangetags which is used by regular users to insert changable tags to their own revisions and not remove it. I guess this should not be an opt in option; this should also apply to small wikis for the convenience of the editors who might view the history of the page or seeing the logs. This should not be a concern for bots which may tag certain revisions and sysops so they can remove them. ToadetteEdit (talk) 15:00, 29 December 2024 (UTC)
- Vandalism with tags is very difficult to roll back and 99% of users do not need it. Examples can be found in the task on Phab: T355639 Iniquity (talk) 21:04, 29 December 2024 (UTC)
- Support. Iniquity (talk) 21:04, 29 December 2024 (UTC)
- Support e 20:15, 20 January 2025 (UTC)
- Support as a reasonable default, wikis can always choose to have different default if needed, but since this was in Tech News previously and no one cared, I doubt it is needed by most wikis. stjn[ru] 02:58, 5 February 2025 (UTC)
- Support Phương Linh (thảo luận) 07:18, 1 March 2025 (UTC)
- Support This is a serious function, shouldn't be used by freshman users. --Liuxinyu970226 (talk) 04:57, 2 March 2025 (UTC)
- Support. Least Action (talk) 15:40, 7 April 2025 (UTC)
